Rod Repair: Color Preserver

Alright so we have removed the old wrap and finish reset and replaced the guide with a new wrap. The next step to ensure that your color remains after you apply your finish. This is perhaps the best $3 you can spend to make your wrap look good.

So rather than me make a poor quality video showing you my amateur rod repairing skills. I will provide you with high quality videos from YouTube. Once again using Mudhole Rod Building supplies Rod Building 101 videos.

Color Preserver:

J.Jones 

Actually Useful Books: Baits Rigs & Tackle

The Complete Book Of Baits Rigs & Tackle is a national best seller and is found in the homes of many fisherman. This book is a good read and lifetime reference guide that should make the packing list for any fishing trip. 

 Vic Dunaway covers all common fishing methods, resulting in the best how-to book for any level fisherman. The illustrations are very easy to follow along and make knot tying and rigging very easy. 

This book has put me ahead of the game and saved me embarrassment. Trying a new kind of fishing usually comes with a trip of friends, reading and understanding the basics can make you seem much cooler and make your trip much more fun when you have a basic understanding of what your doing. 

You can snag one of these books from amazon.com for around $5 for a used copy. The two best website that I purchased used books from are Amazon.com and Abebooks.com. Just remember to compare shipping rates and buyers before purchasing. If you grab a copy let me know what you think.

J.Jones 

Commitment To Conservation: Costa Del Mar

Have you ever felt like sunglasses are a rip off, if you are cheap like me a pair over $30 is steep. However owning a pair of good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must for any outdoorsman. That why I recommend putting a pair on the ol'' Christmas list. Good gear does not come cheap, hence Costa Del Mar who's shades run from $100 upward.

The strong features of shucking the money out for a pair would include high quality lenses, and possibly the most comfortable frames in the business. The good part of Costa's are they are made by fisherman, die hard fisherman.

With that being said coastal conservation is at the fore front of their business. Partnering with Kenny Chesney Costa Donated $50,000 to Coastal Conservation Association. Who advocates for the conservation of our marine resources.

Personally I like the fact that Costa is very conservation minded, check out their website to see what they are doing to give back. The next or first time you purchase a pair of Costa's to mentally ease the pain just think of the over priced part of the shades goes to conservation. 

www.Costadelmar.com 

Oh yeah and Join CCA

www.joincca.org 

Fly Fishing Foundation: Rod Selection

Intro: I recently gave a friend of mine a old fly fishing set up to learn to fly fish with, as I am in need of a extra fishing partner. I am writing this series of post with him in mind as well as anyone new to fly fishing. This is not the most detailed information by no means as most of my posts are rather a basic knowledge that people can expand upon. 

Alright so welcome to the most addictive form fishing, fly fishing is usually reserved for the relatively wealthy individuals. However over the last decade companies have started to trend towards the middle class which helps folks like us. This is just an overview of the foundation of fly fishing enough to get you started and quickly become an addict.

Rod: Rod size is measured by “weight” 1-14 WT this is located on the rod near the handle. This is the most important info it determines how you configure the rest of your set up. Just remember to match the weight to other products when purchasing and this tells others what kind of rod you have.

So for bass the recommendation is a 7wt and for bream it’s a 3wt , so let’s meet in the middle at either a 5 or 6wt. There are several rods on the market from $10 to $1000 dollars. What I look for is about a $50 rod to start as you become more evolved in the sport then you can upgrade.

There are two common types of construction fiberglass or graphite and some are a combination. Fiberglass use to be the best back in the day until the 1980’s, and some people still prefer them today. However they tend to be bulky, heavy and have less action than a graphite rod.

Then there is the graphite rod that is smaller in diameter, lighter, stronger and has more sensitivity. This is today’s trending rod construction, alongside of graphite carbon blends which carry a hefty price tag.

Places to look shop for affordable fly rods are Cabela's, bass pro, and in NC FTO discount tackle in Kinston.  

Rod Repair: Wrapping Guides

We have our guides, blank, tools, and material ready. I wrapped the rod previously seen in older post however my photos didn't come out as clear as I wanted them to. So I have gathered the three top resources that I personally used to to learn to wrap. Take a look at them they all come from reliable sources and are clear and basic.

• First at bat is a Youtube video put together by Mudhole Tackle supply. 

 

• Followed up by the forum that I trust the most - http://www.rodbuildingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1858

• If you prefer black and white and really simple check out- http://www.guidesnblanks.com/page/how_to_wrap_rod_guides

Good luck wrapping.

J.Jones

Essential First Aid: Poison Ivy

Whats worse than going to school or work on Monday after a great weekend in the outdoors.
Going with poison ivy, that's right you will spend the rest of the day with burning itching skin and awkward stares from friends and coworkers.

So let's talk about how to prevent and if you are still unlucky how to treat it so that Mondays can become less painful.

1st Identify the enemy:
Poison Ivy usually has three leaves therefore the common saying of (Leaves of three, Let em be!) comes in.  No seriously don't try to be that brave person, it will leave you miserable.

What causes the allergic reaction?

- Poison Ivy contains an oil that is rub off on to skin or object that most humans react to causing some form of dermatitis problem. 

I.D. and avoidance not you thing?

Well you are up for treatment my friend if you are allergic and that rash appears. From personal experience the best treatment is Poison Ivy wash, the one I happen to have with me is made by Tecnu. Its around $5 and will greatley help the symptoms and ease some pain. 

Other product that I carry with me are Calamine lotion which helps with the itching and the spread of infection from scratching. Also Neosporin for after the blister have dried up to prevent infection in those. All of these products are around $5 and can be easily purchased. 

You Need To Know.

1. How to identify the plant itself
2. How to get rid of the plant safely 
3. How to identify the allergic reaction (rash)
4. What can carry poison Ivy oil (dogs, gear, etc...)
5. How to treat basic reaction 
6. When to go to the doctor ( always go if you are uncertain seeing a medical professional is always a good idea) 

I have only scratched the surface on learning about poison ivy and showed a few products that I use in my first aid kit to combat symptoms. I will leave you with some good resources to read more, trust me its worth the extra few minutes of learning in depth about poison ivy as it can cause serious health risk to the outdoor enthusiast. 

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/poison-ivy/DS00774/DSECTION=symptoms
•  http://www.poison-ivy.org/index.htm
• http://www.medicinenet.com/poison_ivy/article.htm 

J.Jones 

Rod Repair: Wrapping Tools

If you have read about rod building you quickly realize the set up cost can become expensive. According to most books you "need"  a list of tools a mile long. There is a way to make this an affordable hobby or short project depending upon you purpose. I have gathered a list of the few tools I use, they are not the purist tools  that are featured in the book. They are tools are readily available with out ordering and they perform the same job well.

Most important is your wrapper, I got lucky and picked up a Flex Coat hand wrapper featured below.

-Many people build their own, either classic design or custom. Recycled wood can help keep cost down. 

-If your broke or don't have the time to invest in building a wrapper, you can use a shoe box pictured below.

- Thread: either order from a rod building supplier, or grab some all purpose thread at the craft store.

- Tape: For holding the guides into place while wrapping, I use carpet tape due to it being double sided, regular tape will work as well.

- Lighter:  For burning off loose threads, lint, and heating up tip glue. You don't need a alcohol burner a Bic will work fine. 

Tip Glue: A regular craft glue stick will work just fine, the one pictured happens to be a branded tip glue. 

Razor Blade: Used to cut threads and shave off excess tip glue. This is the most important tool, you can also use scissors for cutting thread. 

This is my personal list of tools, you can find extensive commercial products and alternatives at other sources. Now go to Lowe's, Walmart, wherever just gather your tools and get ready for wrapping. 

J.Jones 

Dogs Days: Collars

Does your dog suffer from annoying jiggle collar syndrome?

Yes Callie has been a victim of AJCS, spending her first years making jiggle noises with every step. Dangling collar tags also pose a risk for getting stuck in floor vents seen here by another victim.

So how do I get my dog free of AJCS?

Most common cure: purchase a new collar with integrated tag or a monogrammed collar. 

Integrated tags: 

Cabelas offers dog collars with integrated tags for around $15 

Do not be fooled by Petsmart tags that you can insert into a collar for two reasons. First they cost $11 bucks just for the tag and secondarily it's not a true rivet leaving it vulnerable to coming off. 

Monogrammed Tags:

Orvis offers one of the best monogrammed dog collars, I know what your thinking $20 for a dog collar seriously? Good news you can purchase them two for $30 when they are on sale (often) if not use the coupon previously talked about. Perhaps the greatest feature is that you don't have to worry about losing an identification tag, making you dogs chances of return greater. 

To talk about a collar seems elementary, but it might help return your pup one day. Investing in a premium dog collar is a good idea. It might cost twenty dollars to purchase one of the collars discussed, however if you purchase a collar and identification tag separate it can easily cost over that amount. 

Invest in your dogs safety by purchasing a collar with some form of identification. 

J.Jones